Tunneled, double lumen Broviac catheters are useful, efficient and safe in children undergoing peripheral blood progenitor cell harvesting and transplantation.

We prospectively evaluated performance, efficiency, safety and compliance of large-bore central venous catheters (Cook TPN; Cook (Switzerland) AG) introduced via saphenous veins in 32 children and infants elected to undergo peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) harvesting and transplantation (PBPCT). With these catheters a flow rate (25-65 ml/min) adequate for leukapheresis was achieved in all patients. There were no important catheter-related complications during harvest. The total duration of catheter placement was 4569 days (median, 139 days; range, 8-268 days). During this period which included conditioning and PBPCT, we observed five mechanical complications and 12 septic episodes not necessarily catheter-related (0.11 and 0.26 events per 100 catheter days, respectively). All infections resolved after systemic antibiotic treatment. There was no exit or tunnel area infection, and no catheter had to be removed due to infection. Two catheters were replaced because of displacement. Tunneled double lumen Broviac catheters introduced via saphenous veins were not only efficient and safe, they were also well accepted by children and young adults undergoing PBPC harvesting and transplantation.